The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile
by Ophelia's madness
Summary: Capt. Jack Sparrow and his crew are in a travel in the Mediterranean sea, in search for The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile, when they arrive at the mouth of the river Arno... Well, what are ye waiting for, mates? Begin to read now! CHAPTER 3 UPDATED!
1. The Battle of the mouth of The Arno

**Disclamer: **I do not own POTC or any of his characters. I do not own the name ''Nastro Azzuro'' (It's the name of an italian beer). I also do not own the song ''Azzuro'' (Lyrics by Adriano Celentano) I do not own "L'Ambarabà '' which is a bar in the city of Pisa (Italy). But I own my characters, the S.I.P.V.M. (In English, I.S.P.O.W.) and the O.M.P.P. (in English, O.W.P.P) (you'll know the names of this organizations soon)

**Summary: **Capt. Jack Sparrow and his crew are in a travel in the Mediterranean sea, in search for The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile (Author's note:This is also an idea which I own. :P), when they arrive at the mouth of the river Arno... Well, what are ye waiting for, mates??? Begin to read now!!!

**Pirates of the Caribbean: The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile **

**Chapter 1: The battle of the mouth of The Arno.**

The Black Pearl was sailing normally at the Mediterranean sea. A sea which was terribly quiet that day. No merchant ships, no war ships, no pirate ships (Except the Black Pearl, of course), and no storms. There wasn't also much wind, favourable or non-favourable, which was a real pity, beacuse they were very near of their objective: The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile, hidden by the French pirate, Guillaume Paté, in the underground of the City of Pisa, and guarded by his crocodile, which, as the legend says:_'' was of real gold, and his eyes where blue zaffires. But he was alive, like a real crocodile''_) .

Some people thought it was a a simple legend, but for Captain Jack Sparrow, this legend was real. He found the map of the treasure eleven years before, with the help of his mate Bootstrap Bill, whose mother knew Mounsieur Paté. And he hid it in one of the cabins of the Black Pearl, in a place that he only knew, so he was the only able to find it.

And, after taking back his Pearl, he wanted to go for that treasure...

-We be approaching land!- Anna Maria shouted

Finally: Italy. The mouth of the Arno was in front of them. And a merchant ship was approaching...

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_''Azzurro, il pomeriggio è troppo azzurro e lungo per me  
mi accorgo di non avere più risorse senza di te  
e allora io quasi quasi prendo il treno e vengo, vengo a te.  
Il treno dei desideri nei miei pensieri all'incontrario và...''  
_

Veronica Lark, Captain of the International pirate ship, Nastro Azzuro, was at her compartment, playing with Roby, her little baby crocodile (every captain member of ''Il Sindacato'' had one), when Riccardo Vespucci, her first mate, entered there.

-Cap'n Lark- He said- A black ship is approaching

She left Roby on the floor and went out of her compartment.She saw the ship near to the mouth of the Arno...

- Master Nedved, approach to them !- She shouted to the coxswain, who quickly drived the Nastro Azzuro near to the other ship.

-Order the boatswains to prepare for an advertence shoot- She said to Riccardo- if they are pirates, they'll shoot us back.

Riccardo ran to the cabins.Veronica prepared for a more than possible battle...

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Why was that ship approaching to them so fast?

Jack knew the answer when he saw the pirate flag. And after the shoot, which broke one of the sheets.

-Oh no- he thought- Blowing holes in my ship... again.

Of, course, he knew that it was an advertence shoot.They didn't want the Black Pearl near the treasure.But he was going to find it, even if his beloved Pearl got damaged in the path.

-What are we going to do, Jack?- Gibbs asked

-Shoot back, of course-He said - They are between us and the treasure.And remember that the Treasure of the Golden Crocodile it's a big treasure, mate.

-Ok, then- Gibbs replied

They shoot back, and so, the battle begun...

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-Prepare to aboard!- Captain Lark shouted

She aboarded first, followed by her first mate, Riccardo Vespucci, her lieutenant Tatjana Zelenskajte, and part of her men.

They fought against the men of the other ship, and they were almost winning, when someone shouted:

-Parley!

Everybody stopped. Veronica turned back and saw the man who said that. He looked quite familiar to her.

Of course she could remember... Jack Sparrow.

The best friend of the son of the Godmother. Veronica recognised him beacuse of the description of him in the stories that the Godmother told her about the adventures of her son, after she had to left him in England, at the care of a woman who was a friend of her.

Perhaps she would have to take him to meet the Godmother...

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-Ye want to go to the city of Pisa. - the woman said- to search the Treasure of the Golden Crocodile, I suposse, Mr Sparrow.

-It's Captain Jack....Wait a minute. How do ye know me name, luv?- Jack asked

-It's beacuse ye be very famous here- she replied- I am Veronica Lark, Captain of the International Pirate Ship, Nastro Azzuro. These are my First Mate, Riccardo Vespucci and my Lieutenant, Tatjana Zelenskajte.

They both made a reverence.

-It's a pleasure for us to meet the famous Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew- They both said at the same time.

-Our ship will escort yours to the city of Pisa, via the river Arno- She replied- There, you'll meet someone who is very interested in meet you, and perhaps, she may give you information about the treasure.

-But, how do ye know I be interested in that treasure?- Jack asked

-Most of the pirate ships who are not our allies, come to Pisa to try to find the Treasure- Veronica replied- But we be always between them and their objective. Now, if ye don't mind, we are goin back to our ship.

Vespucci and Zelenskajte were the first people to go back to the ship. Lark was the last.

-And, Captain Sparrow.-she said, before leaving.- Don't call me ''luv''.

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**So, here it is, mates. The first chappie. What do ye think of it?**


	2. The SIPVM and the OMPP

**Disclamer: **I do not own POTC or any of his characters. I do not own the name ''Nastro Azzuro'' (It's the name of an italian beer). I also do not own the song ''Azzuro'' (Lyrics by Adriano Celentano) I do not own "L'Ambarabà '' which is a bar in the city of Pisa (Italy). But I own my characters, the S.I.P.V.M. (In English, I.S.P.O.W.) and the O.M.P.P. (in English, O.W.P.P) (you'll know the names of this organizations soon)

**Summary: **Capt. Jack Sparrow and his crew are in a travel in the Mediterranean sea, in search for The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile (Author's note:This is also an idea which I own. :P), when they arrive at the mouth of the river Arno... Well, what are ye waiting for, mates??? Begin to read now!!!

**Pirates of the Caribbean: The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile **

**Chapter 2: The S.I.P.V.M. and the O.M.P.P**

An hour later they arrived at the city of Pisa. Lark and her crew took Jack and his men to an strange place...

-L'Ambarabà?- he asked

-It's a very famous place for all the pirates who visit Pisa- Lark replied- There, we can have Limoncello, Grappa and birra.

-Do you have rum?- he asked

-I don't know,beacuse I've never drink rum, but you can ask the owner-She said as she opened the door.-Roberto! Siam' arrivati!

But there was no one in the tavern.

-ROBERTO!!-Lark shouted again

Then, a short, black haired man appeared in the room.

-Cap'n Lark!-he said- What a pleasure to see ye and yer crew again!

-Well, Roberto,I must introduce ye to a very famous pirate- Lark said- Roberto, this is Jack Sparrow, Captain of the Black Pearl...

-Nice to meet ye, Cap'n Sparrow- Roberto said

-...And this is Roberto, also known as the ''Minister of the Alcohol'' and owner of the bar L'Ambarabà...- Lark continued

-...Where you can have any drink you want.- Roberto replied

-I suppose that the rum is included-Jack said

-Of course Cap'n Sparrow- Roberto replied

-Then, Roberto- Lark said- Serve drinks to all me men and to Sparrow's men. Put them in my account.

-Ok- Roberto replied- But, what about Sparrow and ye?

-We have first to meet the Godmother- Lark said-. The drinks will come after the meeting...

Then, they went to another room, which lead to a secret passage,which ended in another room , which had in one of the walls a big portrait of seven people: four women and three men.Six of them were dressed like pirates, and the other one was dressed like a woman of the high society.At the feet of one of the pirates there was a crocodile, which _''was of real gold and his eyes were blue zaffires...''_

Above the portrait you could read.

-The founder members of the S.-I.-P.-V.-M, Clara Pita, Anna Isabella Baggigi, Manjula Dianna,Will ''El Botas'', Guillame Paté and Fritz Ingo, and the leader and founder of the O.-M.-P.-P, Diana Baggigi..-Jack read, and then asked- What's this?

- The S.I.P.V.M. is il ''Sindacato Internazionale di Pirateria del Vecchio Mondo''- A voice said behind him- Or, if you prefere the ''International Sindicate of Piracy of the Old World''

Jack and Veronica turned back.They saw an old woman who looked like one of the pirate women of the portrait.She was sat on a big chair, and she was caressing a little baby crocodile.

-Godmother- Veronica said, doing a reverence- We've finally found Jack Sparrow.

-Ah!, I see- The godmother replied- The best friend of my son. and the one who revenged his death...

-Excuse me, M' lady, but I don't know who are ye talking about- Jack said

-Just look at the portrait.- The Godmother said- Does any face looks familiar to ye?

Jack looked at the faces of the pirates. He didn't notice any familiar face untill he saw the face of the man who was at the left of the young Godmother...

-Bootstrap Bill!!-He said

-Bootstrap Bill Sr.-The Godmother corrected him.- The father of the Bootstrap Bill that ye knew, and my lover. I was Bootstrap's Bill mother...I've heard that he had a son. How is he?

-Well he is exactly the same image of his father- Jack said- in the fisical aspects. But about his thoughts, he is something completely different to your son.He doesn't want to be a pirate.

-If he changes his thoughts, you can tell him that he will be very welcomed here...-the Godmother said, looking at the portrait of the group.

-Well, I believe that you want information about ''The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile'', don't you?- The Godmother asked

-Yes, I do- Jack answered- Where is it?

-Here, in the undergrounds of Pisa- The Godmother replied- My home. But only a few people in here have any access to the Treasure. There are a lot of enigmas and proves that you must pass before finding the Treasure. It's something that Paté made for security. He didn't wanted that bastard of Ingo to take the Treasure...

-What happened between them?-Jack asked

-Well, Paté hated Ingo.- she replied- He told me several times that we would have to expell him from ''Il Sindacato'', but I didn't do it. And Ingo, that bloody bastard, betrayed us. He left us to the English authorities. I was the only one who could escape, and I had to hide for the next five months in the house of a friend. After that five months, I gave birth to little Bill, but I had to left him with my friend.

The Godmother looked again at the portrait.

-Poor Diana...- she said- When I came back to Pisa without her sister, she was almost to finish with the O.D.P.P....

-Wasn't it the O.M.P.P.?- Jack asked

-The inscription in the portrait has a little translation mistake, beacuse the painter didn't know to speak italian properly- she replied- It is the ''Organizazione di Donne Prottectrici di Pirate'' . In english, the ''Organization of Women Protectors of Pirates''. Diana founded this organiztion to protect her sister, Anna Isabella and her fellow pirates of the wrath of the Governor of Pisa, who was her father. Now, her granddaughter, Jennifer Baggigi, is the leader of this organization...

Jack couldn't almost believe what he was being told. Could really exist such an organization within the pirates' world? Anyway, his interest was much more another one…

- So, this is very interesting but, what about the treasure? You've just told me there are a lot of proves we will have to pass and things like...

The Godmother just smiled, calmed, while she still craddled the baby crocodile in her arms. Lark was just sitting there and she also had that naughty smile on her lips. Jack couldn't avoid the feeling that he was the only one there who didn't know what kind of game they were all playing to.

The Godmother, still watching him ironically, started speaking again:

-You'll know everything in the right time, don't worry, Jack. If you…

But in that very moment, the door crushed down with a horrible roar. There, standing in the threshold, all surrounded by the dust and still trying to keep the door on its place, was Riccardo Vespucci. Once he realized what he had done, he attempted to leave the pulled up door on the floor, but he stumbled with it and entered the room falling down and hitting Jack on his right leg.

-Excuse me, Cap'n Jack -, he managed to say when recovering the balance.

-Yeah, don't worry, it happens usually – Lark tagged -. That's way we don't let him near any kind of door.

While Vespucci did his best in cleaning the dust from captain Sparrow's clothes and also from his own, Jack couldn't help the feeling that Lark's first mate had already forgotten the message he was supposed to deliver when entering the room in such a way. But, again, The Godmother was the first who spoke:

-Riccardo, my dear, do you remember, in any case, what were you about to notice us?

-Oh, porca put…, excuse me again. Yeah, of course I remember and I must say is something really important. Actually I can't just remind me that something so significant has happened in the last… I would say, the last 5 years, at least, because what…

-Mr. Vespucci -, Lark quoted -, I hope that that story will only be exciting and important and not urgent, I mean, that it will not require our inmediate intervention…

-In fact, I would say, it deserves it.

-So?

- I'm afraid Jennifer Baggigi, the sister of the Governor, Lorenzo Baggigi, has been kidnapped by the most terrible of the pirates at the North of the Mediterranean…

-Guntram Ingo!!! – exclaimed at the same time The Godmother, that let her crocodile fall down a meter to the floor, and Lark, who, for the first time stood up since they were inside the room. Both of them seemed genouinously concerned.

-We'll need all the help in the world to recover her – Vespucci said.

Jack looked around. All of them were talking about that event and had obviously forgotten to tell him about the golden crocodile. He tryied in vane to drive back the attention to him and in the end he had to whistle to make them silent and could ask:

-I have two questions…

-Go ahead – Lark said -. Don't you see that right now we don't have a moment to loose?

-Ok. First of all: who's that Guntram?

-He is Fritz Ingo's grandson and, whats more important, he is the most brave, cruel, and ruthless pirate in the world… there's no other one like him…

-I think, may be, that's not so true… - Jack answered wounded in his pirate's pride

.-We cannot discuss about this now, Jack. Come on, what's the second question?

-Ok. The second fact is: why are we standing here and talking instead of hunting that son of a bastard?


	3. The able bodied crews

**Disclamer: **I do not own POTC or any of his characters. I do not own the name ''Nastro Azzuro'' (It's the name of an italian beer). I also do not own the song ''Azzuro'' (Lyrics by Adriano Celentano) I do not own "L'Ambarabà '' which is a bar in the city of Pisa (Italy). But I own my characters, the S.I.P.V.M. (In English, I.S.P.O.W.) and the O.M.P.P. (in English, O.W.P.P) (you'll know the names of this organizations soon)

**Summary: **Capt. Jack Sparrow and his crew are in a travel in the Mediterranean sea, in search for The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile (Author's note:This is also an idea which I own. :P), when they arrive at the mouth of the river Arno... Well, what are ye waiting for, mates??? Begin to read now!!!

**Author's note: **This chapter takes place at the same time of chap.2. We know what Jack, Veronica and the Godmother were doing, but what about of the crews of the Black Pearl, and the Nastro Azzuro?

**Pirates of the Caribbean: The Treasure of the Golden Crocodile **

**Chapter 3: The able-bodied crews**

When Jack and Veronica went out, Roberto asked the crews:

-So, what will it be? Limoncello, Grappa, Birra...

-Rum!!!!- all the men of the Black Pearl said at the same time

-Ok,ok- Roberto replied-Rum for Sparrow's crew. And what for Lark's crew?

-Un limoncello per me- Riccardo said

-Ok, a limoncello for Riccardo Vespucci...- Roberto repeated, at the same time he wrote it in a paper.

-A grappa for me- Tatjana requested

-A grappa for Miss Zelesnkajte...

-Una birrita para mí- Daniele , who was the surgeon of the Nastro Azzuro, replied

-Y otra para mí- Noelia, one of the boatswains,and helper of the chef, replied

-And another for me- Martin, other boatswain, replied

-Ok, three birras: one for ''Il Dottore Daniele'', one for la signorina L'Amour, and one for Mr Nightingale

- One Grappa for me- Gabriele, the chef of the Nastro Azzuro, said

-Another Grappa for il Signore Romano...

-One limoncello for me- Pavel, the coxswain of the Nastro Azzuro,said

- Another for me!- Kumar, the surgeon's mate, added

-Two more limoncellos: One for master Nedved, and other for Kumar ''The tiger of Malaysia''...

When the crew of the Black Pearl heard Kumar's nickname, there was a general laugh, untill he looked at all them with an assasin look.Of course, then they stopped.

But, after that, the crews got to know each other, and they became friends.

Gibbs sneaked around for a while and then stood near Riccardo Vespucci. He seemed quite a good guy and somebody whom which he could be able to exchange some impressions about what had happened. He decided to offer him another drink and soon realized that that was the good way to begin a new friendship.

- Another "limonetto" or something like that… for Mr. Vespucci. How do you call it?

-Limoncello. Do you want to try it? – Riccardo offered.

- No, thank you -. Gibbs showed his glass yet full of rum.

-Anyway. You're really kind.

They just sat near each other, but it was again Gibbs who started to talk.

-So, tell me, Mr. Vespucci, how did you become a pirate?

-Why does that interest you?

He seemed in fact surprised about the question, but there was no malice in his replay. Gibbs tried to explain:

- Well, if I had saw you somewhere else, maybe I won't have ever realized what you were. Don't be offended, but you don't seem the typical pirate…

- So, what can I say? You're quite right, Mr. Gibbs. I can assure you that I'm a pirate… may I say, by accident?

- By accident? What do you exactly mean? – Gibbs laughed.

- In fact I've dedicated almost all my life to science. I used to study the skies and stars, hoping to find up there the real reason of existence, an answer to every philosophical question that could have been asked before or could be asked afterwards. It's true I was never able to arrive to any useful conclusion, but, in the end, I knew very well the constellations and I was able to find perfectly my bearings in the seas.

- Really? And that has to do with your enrollment as a pirate…

- No, it was not so easy. You have to excuse me, Mr. Gibbs, but sometimes I get lost when I'm explaining a story. You just have to make me notice and I'll return to the original point. Ok, so, where were we? Oh, yeah, I remember. Once, I went away late in the evening. Not too far away from home, in fact, because my grandmother was always concerned about my excursions, you know how grandmothers are. Did I tell you before about my grandmother?

- I don't think that's the point of the story, Mr. Vespucci.

- Oh, yes. You're right, Mr. Gibbs. I usually did it, going away I mean, in order to watch the stars, relaxed, out of the noise and chaos of modern life. I started walking near the coast where the only light is the light of the moon and the stars, where you can only hear the rumor of the waves breaking down, where looking ahead you cannot see the difference between the sea and the sky, where the line of the horizon, as Dante said… do you know Dante? Have you ever read his…?

- Mr. Vespucci…

- Oh, I did it again, didn't I? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was carried away by poetry… once more. Well, so I was still there, staring at the sky when something caught powerfully my attention. It was a soft golden glow, and it seemed to come out from the water. It moved in circles, as if it was swimming. It was a phenomena I've never had seen before. It was so hypnotic that, even without knowing exactly what I was doing, I started to look for a way to come down and arrive to the sea in order to know what was all this about. By chance, I found what seemed a stair. It was very old, carved on the rock and hidden, as if no one had stepped over it for years and years. I started to come down, slowly. Each of my steps taking me nearer to the golden glow, almost without breath, when I was only a few meters away…

Riccardo stopped suddenly his story, the glass in the hand, his sight lost, as if he were again on that beach he was describing, as if he could in fact almost touch that strange thing… that golden glow. But, could he be referring to…? Gibbs realized that he was also keeping his breath just before asking Riccardo to continue.

- You saw it!

-What?

- Don't try to pull my leg! You saw it! That glow was the Golden Crocodile! Oh, that bloody bastard… I didn't want to believe him when…

- No, it wasn't.

- Pardon?

- I mean… I don't know anything about crocodiles. As I was telling you, anyway, I wasn't able to see what the glow was. I just stumbled and felt down doing a tremendous noise. When I regain consciousness, there was no golden light anymore except for the candle that held one of the ten pirates that were surrounding me with not very gentle faces… Well, I must confess that, at first, I didn't realize that they were pirates: I took them for carabinieri. I tried to explain them about my work, my grandmother, the glow…

- Poor guys! – Gibbs whispered.

- Pardon?

- Niente, niente! Continue, please…

- I'm finishing, in fact… they hit me… but very politely, I must say. I mean, one has to do what he has to do. Then they carried me to their ship and there they took me to see their captain…

- Lark.

- That's right… and, I can't explain why, but she decided to offer me a work as an alternative to death…

- And you left away your life, scientific works, everything!

- Well, that was not the worst part… no, definitely, that was the best one.

- And what is the worst part, on your behalf?

- I used to suffer from seasickness.

- Ouch.

- Now I'm used.

- And you have become Lark's first mate… how…?

In that very moment, a man entered the Ambarabà, running. He seemed really worried; looked around; discovered Riccardo and went onto him. He told him something in an extremely low voice. It seemed something important. Riccardo was listening with the greatest attention. Vespucci tried to calm the man down and assured that he will go and talk to Lark in person. He stood up.

- And, that is how I became a pirate.

- Thanks to the Golden Crocodile… - Gibbs tried to cheat Vespucci.

- I can't remember saying anything about a crocodile…

- But, just tell me if the legend is true, in your opinion, does the Golden Crocodile exist?

Riccardo drunk the last drop remaining in his glass.

- Do you want to know how I became Lark's first mate?

- Of course but…

- I never talk about things that don't concern me and… I can keep a secret. See you later, Mr. Gibbs, and, thank you for this…

He left the glass on the table and disappeared in the darkness of the place with a strange smile on his lips, leaving Gibbs in total confusion.

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This chapter was co-written with my sister. (Hers is most of the  conversation between Gibbs and Riccardo). What do ye think of it?


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